Planning board gets new faces

The Daily Inter Lake

The Flathead County commissioners appointed a trio of newcomers and one incumbent to the Flathead County Planning Board on Thursday, as well as filling vacancies on several other boards.

Twelve people, including incumbents Russ Crowder, Dave Reynolds and Cal Scott, applied for the four openings on the planning board.

Scott, a local Realtor, was reappointed to a two-year term. Crowder and Reynolds were not reappointed.

Scott will be joined by newcomers Gene Dziza, current president of the Flathead Business and Industry Association; Kim Fleming, a former Whitefish City Council and Whitefish City-County Planning Board member who now lives in Lakeside; and Charles Lapp, who currently sits on the Columbia Falls City-County Planning Board but who may lose that seat if the county revises the jurisdictional boundaries.

Dan Bangeman, the Flathead Conservation District's longtime representative on the board, has also stepped down. He will be replaced by Frank DeKort.

With the new appointments, four of the planning board's nine members will be new in January. They will immediately be thrown into the fire, with two meetings scheduled that month to handle the application overflow.

Other board appointments announced on Thursday, together with a few remaining vacancies, include:

. Agency on Aging - Eight vacancies and two letters of application: Clare Hafferman and Bev Sorensen. Six positions still available.

. Airport Authority Board - One vacancy, four applications: Anne Biby.

. Ashley Lake Land Use Advisory Committee - Three vacancies, three applications: Terry Kramer, Robert Friedman and Harry McAllister.

. Bigfork Land Use Advisory Committee - Four vacancies, Four applications: Bob Keenan, Clarice Ryan, Philip Hanson, John Bourquin.

. Columbia Falls Cemetery - Four vacancies, two applications: Rick Skyberg, Mark Lampman. Two positions still available.

. Columbia Falls City-County Planning Board - The commissioners postponed action on this board until they decide whether to revise the district boundaries.

. Fair Board - Two vacancies, four applications: Paul Atkinson and Monte Long.

. Fairview Cemetery - One vacancy and one application: Art Weaver.

. Flathead County Board of Adjustment - Two vacancies, three applications: Mark Hash and Dennis Rea.

. Flathead County Tax Appeal Board: Lauren Quien.

. Flathead County Weed, Parks and Maintenance Board - Two vacancies, two applications: James Buechle and Ray Sanders.

. LaBrant-Lindsey Lane Land Use Advisory Committee - Three vacancies, two applications: Bobby Lane and Robert Carlin. One position still available for someone who owns more than 20 acres in the district.

. Little Bitterroot Land Use Advisory Committee - Three vacancies, one application: William Odom. Two positions still available.

. Middle Canyon Land Use Advisory Committee - One vacancy, two applications: Reno Baldwin.

. Natural Resource Use Committee - Five vacancies, six applications: David Hadden, Thor Jackola, Ron Buentemeier, Chuck Samuelson and Fred Hodgeboom.

. North Fork Land Use Advisory Committee - One vacancy, one application: Richard Cowley.

. West Valley Land Use Advisory Committee - Two vacancies, four applications: Paul McKenzie and Charlene O'Neil.

. Whitefish City-County Planning Board - Three vacancies, five applications: Ole Netteberg, Craig Cook and Dennis Bee.

. Whitefish Lakeshore Protection Committee - One vacancy, three applications: Joseph Kogutek.

The terms for all of these appointments begin in January.